Washington, DC - The Office of Personnel Management released the following statement regarding the decision of the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in the AFGE v. Gates case.

"We are pleased with this morning's ruling by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals on NSPS.  The Court found the manner in which  NSPS was designed and implemented provided appropriate due process and employee protections.  The ruling confirms the Department's direction with important personnel reforms in support of our critical national security mission.

"We acknowledge the recent Congressional interest concerning NSPS, and we will continue to work with them as we implement a personnel system that has already seen a return on investment - unprecedented training, greater communication between employees and supervisors, and a focus on rewards based on results and mission accomplishment.

"We are evaluating the ruling prior to making any decisions on the next steps."

Our mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.